I, like many people, have been following the news about Haiti. Even without television, the scenes described are horrific and incredibly sad. They are brought slightly closer to home because two students from my college were there when the earthquake hit and I actually know one of them. They're safely on their way home to the US, thankfully. Another friend, a man who works at my college and is a member of our parish, grew up in Haiti and he shared with us after church today that a large portion of his family on his Mom's side are missing with no word. One aunt owned a restaurant across from the national palace which is completely flattened.
I can't even begin to think about how this would feel if it were my family, or how we would survive if it happened here. My main reaction, though, is feeling somewhat appalled at all I take for granted. I just went to the grocery store and had a brief moment of feeling virtuous about all of the fresh vegetables in my cart -- until I thought again about Haiti and how people there would welcome water and the most basic of foodstuffs, while I have an unending array of choices and the ability to pay for what I need and even some things I just want, but don't really need.
Reading the Episcopal Cafe website a few days ago, I came across a link to an article about financial fasting. The idea keeps nagging at me. Even though Don and I are really quite frugal overall, I'm sure it would be a good discipline. Check it out:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103495.html I'm thinking about doing it during Lent, though I'll admit the thought crossed my mind that I have to take care it doesn't keep me from going to Spa, Knit, & Spin. Guess I'll have to decide how much this means to me. Maybe I'll fit it around the event, but give myself a strict budget to stick to -- which I know won't be easy.
ON MY NEEDLES
Finishing up the sweater Zeben started over break. He got the body and sleeves done up to the point where everything joins for the yoke. The yoke involves short rows, which he wouldn't have taken the time to figure out on his own, so I'll gladly finish it and send it to him. Then, I think I'll make one for his brother.
Slouchy Cardi is still at the point where I have to do the sleeve caps. Stalled.
Not on my needles, but related to my knitting, is a step toward organizing my yarn and projects. Zeben has gone back to college and already has a job lined up on campus so won't be coming home again for a while -- probably not until next Christmas break. So, I'm taking over that room. My desk is moved up there to make room in the living room. And, I'm in the process of moving all that is yarn/knitting related to one place. I plan to finally find out just what I have, and figure out what I can do without. I'm really looking forward to my version of "The Airing of the Stash" as well as some culling. Plus, I plan to try to move some of my UFOs into the finished object category.
Now to get to the rest of the house. We just have too much -- much more than we need, or even want anymore. We'll recycle as much as we can by donating to local organizations or saving things for the church yard sale. Just one tiny way to reallocate the riches of this world.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Off and Running (Again)
The college where I work has a 4-week "Jan Plan" term between semesters. It was an experience I really liked as a student, and as an employee I also really like the educational value and opportunity of having Jan Plan. However, it does mean that our students return to campus on January 4, giving staff very little time to recover from the first semester and plan ahead for the second. We have to be ready to be back on our game the first work day of the year. And, as usual, I'm always shocked at how quickly the month goes -- we are already a quarter of the way through the term today! Time just goes much too quickly.
But, the fun thing about this past week is the enthusiasm of the students for our new career planning program. I led a self-assessment workshop Friday afternoon with a fun, engaged, smart group of young people. It is always a pleasure to present activities and information and not only watch the students soak it up, but to also have them reflect back to me and teach me new ways of looking at things. I guess this is what has kept me doing this job for almost 23 years!
On the home front, one of my sons had his wisdom teeth (all 4) removed on Monday, so I've been trying to be a good nurse when I've been home. The other son is at a leadership conference for his fraternity. We've taken down the Christmas decorations, though the lights are still up on the apple tree and lit up every night. I'd like to keep the tree up longer - we didn't quite make it to Epiphany - but we hate it when we miss the tree pick-up on our street and have it sitting sad and naked on our lawn for weeks, so we took it down on Monday. Everything that wasn't on the tree has been migrating to a table in the dining room. If I don't spread the un-decorating out over a week or so, I always miss something. This way I'll be able to put everything away in the right box pretty easily.
I spent and unexpected but fun afternoon/evening at my parents' house yesterday. My brother, his wife, and three children all came to visit from out of state. We were only short one sister and her husband, my husband, and one of my sons from having the whole family together. We capped the evening with a rollicking game of spoons -- always good for at least one moment that makes you laugh until tears come to your eyes and your stomach hurts.
I was sitting to the side, working on getting the binding on my son's quilt. My neice, who is in 5th grade and learning to sew, asked me how long it has taken me to make it and I realized that I started it almost exactly one year ago. Last Jan Plan, a group of people (women) at the college took the Quilting Club advisor up on the offer of doing it as a "class." We used the club room a couple of lunch hours a week. Zeben had asked me for a blue and white quilt, so that offered me the chance to actually do one. And now it will be completed later today!
And on to new projects :)
ON MY NEEDLES
I got the sleeves done for the slouchy cardi, but think I'm going to rip them back to where I started the decreases for the cap and make it a little wider. I'd rather do it now than after I've blocked and sewn it together.
I finished the Cité neckwarmer in denim blue Malabrigo sock yarn for my mother - I should have taken a photo - sorry! But I loved the yarn so much, I stopped over to Purl Diva in Brunswick to pick up two more skeins -- in a teal blue combination and a purple/maroon blend. Some of these neckwarmers will make great Christmas presents next year and will be enjoyable little projects to work on.
I started the Tibetan Clouds beaded stole in a beautiful color of Smooshy (Dream in Color is the brand), but it just isn't doing it for me. It just isn't lustrous enough. I'll have to keep looking for something lovely and affordable. With any luck I'll find something that matches my beads.
But, the fun thing about this past week is the enthusiasm of the students for our new career planning program. I led a self-assessment workshop Friday afternoon with a fun, engaged, smart group of young people. It is always a pleasure to present activities and information and not only watch the students soak it up, but to also have them reflect back to me and teach me new ways of looking at things. I guess this is what has kept me doing this job for almost 23 years!
On the home front, one of my sons had his wisdom teeth (all 4) removed on Monday, so I've been trying to be a good nurse when I've been home. The other son is at a leadership conference for his fraternity. We've taken down the Christmas decorations, though the lights are still up on the apple tree and lit up every night. I'd like to keep the tree up longer - we didn't quite make it to Epiphany - but we hate it when we miss the tree pick-up on our street and have it sitting sad and naked on our lawn for weeks, so we took it down on Monday. Everything that wasn't on the tree has been migrating to a table in the dining room. If I don't spread the un-decorating out over a week or so, I always miss something. This way I'll be able to put everything away in the right box pretty easily.
I spent and unexpected but fun afternoon/evening at my parents' house yesterday. My brother, his wife, and three children all came to visit from out of state. We were only short one sister and her husband, my husband, and one of my sons from having the whole family together. We capped the evening with a rollicking game of spoons -- always good for at least one moment that makes you laugh until tears come to your eyes and your stomach hurts.
I was sitting to the side, working on getting the binding on my son's quilt. My neice, who is in 5th grade and learning to sew, asked me how long it has taken me to make it and I realized that I started it almost exactly one year ago. Last Jan Plan, a group of people (women) at the college took the Quilting Club advisor up on the offer of doing it as a "class." We used the club room a couple of lunch hours a week. Zeben had asked me for a blue and white quilt, so that offered me the chance to actually do one. And now it will be completed later today!
And on to new projects :)
ON MY NEEDLES
I got the sleeves done for the slouchy cardi, but think I'm going to rip them back to where I started the decreases for the cap and make it a little wider. I'd rather do it now than after I've blocked and sewn it together.
I finished the Cité neckwarmer in denim blue Malabrigo sock yarn for my mother - I should have taken a photo - sorry! But I loved the yarn so much, I stopped over to Purl Diva in Brunswick to pick up two more skeins -- in a teal blue combination and a purple/maroon blend. Some of these neckwarmers will make great Christmas presents next year and will be enjoyable little projects to work on.
I started the Tibetan Clouds beaded stole in a beautiful color of Smooshy (Dream in Color is the brand), but it just isn't doing it for me. It just isn't lustrous enough. I'll have to keep looking for something lovely and affordable. With any luck I'll find something that matches my beads.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Resolution Steps
I just took one step on that financial goal and created a budget worksheet for my sons to use as they explore off-campus living options. It wouldn't be a bad idea for me to fill it out for myself!
And, on the house organization, we're looking for a piece of furniture to replace the table in our fireplace room. Just getting the stereo system (yes, we're behind the curve on technology, but as avid radio listeners, our old Sony system is still central to our lives) and all my knitting paraphernalia out of sight will make that room ever so much less messy. Does this look messy to you?
ON MY NEEDLES
To make it easier for me to blog more regularly, I'm going to only talk about one or two projects instead of trying to catalogue the whole backlog.
I made progress yesterday on my Slouchy Cardi while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with Zeben. I'm one inch away from tackling the problematical sleeve cap shaping. I've got Ellen's notes (Purl Diva) and will review the Ravelry notes before diving in.
Zeben has also been making very good progress on his Cobblestone pullover. He may just make his goal of completing it before going back to college in two weeks!
And, on the house organization, we're looking for a piece of furniture to replace the table in our fireplace room. Just getting the stereo system (yes, we're behind the curve on technology, but as avid radio listeners, our old Sony system is still central to our lives) and all my knitting paraphernalia out of sight will make that room ever so much less messy. Does this look messy to you?
ON MY NEEDLES
To make it easier for me to blog more regularly, I'm going to only talk about one or two projects instead of trying to catalogue the whole backlog.
I made progress yesterday on my Slouchy Cardi while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with Zeben. I'm one inch away from tackling the problematical sleeve cap shaping. I've got Ellen's notes (Purl Diva) and will review the Ravelry notes before diving in.
Zeben has also been making very good progress on his Cobblestone pullover. He may just make his goal of completing it before going back to college in two weeks!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Resolutions
Ah, the time of review and thinking about how to improve on...everything! My list of resolutions is always too long and daunting, and this year's is no different. Then I read Heloise's column in the paper this morning and she talked about setting goals instead of resolutions. Goals can be a bit broader and give you some leeway in your accomplishments, to my way of thinking. So, I'm setting goals instead of resolutions.
Knitting Goal: Work on those UFO's (unfinished objects for non-knitters). While I did request and receive yarn for Christmas (including a surprise gift of Sundara silk lace weight that thrilled me down to my toes!), my focus this year will be on finishing projects instead of starting new ones and using yarn I already own for anything new I do start.
Health Goal: Reduce anxiety. Or, at least manage it better - maybe with exercise? yoga on a regular basis?
Financial Goal: Maintain my financial sanity in the face of at least one son living off-campus next fall. Don't exactly know how this will play out, but will try not to be anxious about it (see above).
House Goal: Make real strides on reducing the "stuff" we have. More about that later, but it will involve a combination of getting rid of things and finding better ways to store what we keep.
Other Goals: Make quilts for Nate and my mother. Blog at least once a week (noting that my last blog entry was a year ago!). Make more effort to have a social life instead of hibernating when not at work or with family.
That seems like enough!
Overall, I find myself relieved to have 2009 in the past, though I hadn't been thinking that much about how true that would be. The last decade has had some significant rough spots in it for me and my family and I can see how it has all worn me down in some ways. Starting a new decade seems like an opportunity to start with a clean slate and I hope I can take advantage of that in some positive ways. And, how appropriate is it to have a blanket of fresh snow to make the world look tidy and clean.
ON/RECENTLY OFF MY NEEDLES:
I'm working on a Slouchy Cardi (from Knit Cafe) in Knit Picks Merino Style in Storm (a teal blue). The yarn was my birthday present, so I'm forcing myself to finish this before starting my Christmas yarn sweater. I've got the fronts and back done, am halfway up the sleeves (knitting both at once as there are some pattern issues and this will allow me to make them the same as I adjust the pattern), and then will have a hood to make. I'll need to seam it together, but there are no buttons or bands to add on, so it will be a quick finish.
I picked up a skein of Malabrigo Sock yarn in a denim-blue kettle dyed color at Thanksgiving and used it to make a pair of fingerless mitts (Delicato - I got the pattern from Dye Dreams at Spa Knit and Spin last spring along with some of their yarn and my aunt admired while I was knitting them) for my Aunt Alice. I actually got two pair done before Christmas and still have some left, from which I hope to get two "Cité" neckwarmers - Ann Hanson's latest KnitSpot pattern.
Cascade sock yarn in a dusky blue ended up in a prayer shawl for my friend Elisabeth using another Ann Hanson pattern "Cluaranach," and a scarf for my friend Lizzie, "Tudor Grace," another KnitSpot pattern. Ann's blog is one I follow regularly too -- that woman is an incredibly productive designer and it is an inspiration to follow her progress.
On Christmas Day I cast on for a pair of fingerless mitts for Don in the Knitty "Dashing" pattern and then knit a hat to match from the "Hurricane Hat" pattern that was one of the holiday links on Purl Diva's page. I used purple tweed Galway yarn. On New Year's Eve I knit another hat in blue tweed for Zeben from the same pattern. Maybe I'll make him a pair of mitts sometime too. But the leftovers will also make good mittens for next year's Mitten Tree at church. After knitting with sock and lace weight yarn for so much of the past year, knitting something in worsted weight goes so fast!
And, Nate requested a pair of socks last summer and I found a self-patterning sock yarn in reds, orange, maroon, and brown and finished them two days ago. I basically knit them twice as the first time through they were too big. I was working on them a lot over Thanksgiving because I had his feet readily available to test them on. I finally got the sizing worked out and finished one of them while sitting at the repair shop the other day, getting new tires on the car.
So, the only projects really on my needles at the moment are the neckwarmer and the Slouchy. I need to cast on another neckwarmer to use up some mink and cashmere yarn I got before Christmas. I managed to knit a neckwarmer for my Mom in time for Christmas but think I can get another one out of the skein. This is yarn that comes from a small company in East Orleans, MA called Great Northern Yarns. They shear the mink once a year and blend it with cashmere for a lovely soft yarn. It wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be when I took it out of the package (though I was very impressed with the hand-written thank you note the owner included!), but when I soaked it and blocked it, it "bloomed" and was just luscious!
On to a new year and decade!
Knitting Goal: Work on those UFO's (unfinished objects for non-knitters). While I did request and receive yarn for Christmas (including a surprise gift of Sundara silk lace weight that thrilled me down to my toes!), my focus this year will be on finishing projects instead of starting new ones and using yarn I already own for anything new I do start.
Health Goal: Reduce anxiety. Or, at least manage it better - maybe with exercise? yoga on a regular basis?
Financial Goal: Maintain my financial sanity in the face of at least one son living off-campus next fall. Don't exactly know how this will play out, but will try not to be anxious about it (see above).
House Goal: Make real strides on reducing the "stuff" we have. More about that later, but it will involve a combination of getting rid of things and finding better ways to store what we keep.
Other Goals: Make quilts for Nate and my mother. Blog at least once a week (noting that my last blog entry was a year ago!). Make more effort to have a social life instead of hibernating when not at work or with family.
That seems like enough!
Overall, I find myself relieved to have 2009 in the past, though I hadn't been thinking that much about how true that would be. The last decade has had some significant rough spots in it for me and my family and I can see how it has all worn me down in some ways. Starting a new decade seems like an opportunity to start with a clean slate and I hope I can take advantage of that in some positive ways. And, how appropriate is it to have a blanket of fresh snow to make the world look tidy and clean.
ON/RECENTLY OFF MY NEEDLES:
I'm working on a Slouchy Cardi (from Knit Cafe) in Knit Picks Merino Style in Storm (a teal blue). The yarn was my birthday present, so I'm forcing myself to finish this before starting my Christmas yarn sweater. I've got the fronts and back done, am halfway up the sleeves (knitting both at once as there are some pattern issues and this will allow me to make them the same as I adjust the pattern), and then will have a hood to make. I'll need to seam it together, but there are no buttons or bands to add on, so it will be a quick finish.
I picked up a skein of Malabrigo Sock yarn in a denim-blue kettle dyed color at Thanksgiving and used it to make a pair of fingerless mitts (Delicato - I got the pattern from Dye Dreams at Spa Knit and Spin last spring along with some of their yarn and my aunt admired while I was knitting them) for my Aunt Alice. I actually got two pair done before Christmas and still have some left, from which I hope to get two "Cité" neckwarmers - Ann Hanson's latest KnitSpot pattern.
Cascade sock yarn in a dusky blue ended up in a prayer shawl for my friend Elisabeth using another Ann Hanson pattern "Cluaranach," and a scarf for my friend Lizzie, "Tudor Grace," another KnitSpot pattern. Ann's blog is one I follow regularly too -- that woman is an incredibly productive designer and it is an inspiration to follow her progress.
On Christmas Day I cast on for a pair of fingerless mitts for Don in the Knitty "Dashing" pattern and then knit a hat to match from the "Hurricane Hat" pattern that was one of the holiday links on Purl Diva's page. I used purple tweed Galway yarn. On New Year's Eve I knit another hat in blue tweed for Zeben from the same pattern. Maybe I'll make him a pair of mitts sometime too. But the leftovers will also make good mittens for next year's Mitten Tree at church. After knitting with sock and lace weight yarn for so much of the past year, knitting something in worsted weight goes so fast!
And, Nate requested a pair of socks last summer and I found a self-patterning sock yarn in reds, orange, maroon, and brown and finished them two days ago. I basically knit them twice as the first time through they were too big. I was working on them a lot over Thanksgiving because I had his feet readily available to test them on. I finally got the sizing worked out and finished one of them while sitting at the repair shop the other day, getting new tires on the car.
So, the only projects really on my needles at the moment are the neckwarmer and the Slouchy. I need to cast on another neckwarmer to use up some mink and cashmere yarn I got before Christmas. I managed to knit a neckwarmer for my Mom in time for Christmas but think I can get another one out of the skein. This is yarn that comes from a small company in East Orleans, MA called Great Northern Yarns. They shear the mink once a year and blend it with cashmere for a lovely soft yarn. It wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be when I took it out of the package (though I was very impressed with the hand-written thank you note the owner included!), but when I soaked it and blocked it, it "bloomed" and was just luscious!
On to a new year and decade!
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